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Ed Roland, full name Edgar Eugene Roland III, was born August 3, 1963. Ed is an American musician, and the vocalist for Alternative Rock band Collective Soul. He is the primary songwriter and also contributes guitars, keyboards, producing and engineering. He has formed a unique stage presence, as he loves to dance with his mic stand and puts a lot of energy into performances.
Prior to forming Collective Soul, Ed studied songwriting/composing and guitar at Berklee College of Music in Boston and worked at Real 2 Reel Studios in Atlanta. He was part of a few local bands including a short lived one called "Marching Two-Step" and performed solo during the late 1980s and early 90's. Ed released a solo album, Ed-E Roland in 1991. This album was an indie project pressed in limited quantities. It did however showcase his abilities to write, compose and perform music long before the success and fame with Collective Soul.
With hopes of finding some success in the music busines and trying to secure publishing/songwriting contracts. Ed grew frustrated as he approached 30 years of age, trying to "get a break" and even thought about giving up. During 1993, Hints, Allegations & Things Left Unsaid had caught the ear of a college station in Orlando. They had started playing "Shine", and soon other stations followed. This got the attention of Atlantic Records who signed Collective Soul in early 1994 to a major label contract. That album was composed almost entirely by Ed.
During his time with Collective Soul, Ed has become a skilled writer and vocalist known for composing catchy songs, many of which had "hit song" qualities. His versatility in the studio doing many different tasks has made him a respected songwriter. The band has experienced many high levels of mainstream success with numerous big-hits and gold/platinum selling albums. Records which were mostly produced by Ed. Over the years he has led the band through many tours and various high profile performances including Woodstock 1994 and Woodstock 1999. They returned in 2004/2005 with new albums and touring.
Discography - Solo
Ed-E Roland, (1991) Core/Oxymoron - songwriter, instruments, producer, engineer
Ed also founded the record label (EL Music Group) which was used for their album titled "Youth".
External links
1963 births | American rock singer-songwriters | Berklee College of Music alumni | Living people
"Ed Roland"